Branded
by kmart92
Summary: What happens when Andy loses a bet? She gets a tattoo of course! But what will Sam think?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: No, it's not mine – damn!**_

_**After reading a couple of other stories like this, I couldn't help but want to try it myself, so here goes... I'm anxious to know what you all think about it, so please review! Oh, and just so you know, Luke does not exist in this story. Without further ado – ENJOY!**_

"Traci! No way!" Andy screeched, throwing a pillow at her, her face blushing bright scarlet.

Traci just smirked, "Well, Andy McNally, I don't really think you have a choice!"

"Hell yeah, I do! It's something called free will." Her mind was furiously backpedalling to find a way out of her current dire predicament.

"Aren't you forgetting a little something? Like, the bet?"

"Anything, I'll do anything else, just don't make me do this. I can't, Traci!" Andy practically begged, completely freaking out.

"I'll tell you what, since I'm such an awesome best friend, I'll give you two options. That's it. It's up to you to pick, but just know this, whether you like it or not, I'm exerting my betting power over you and you _will_ hold up your end of the deal!"

_Flashback_

"_Nah, I don't think so, Trace. He just finished with his divorce, he's clearly focusing on work right now. I'm sure jumping right into another serious relationship is not high on his priority list." _

_Traci dismissed her claims and explained her theory again as if it was totally obvious. "Well, I'm telling you that I definitely see some sparks there. And Noelle's a catch, of course he's interested. You know what? I'll bet you that Frank and Noelle start dating within the next 2 weeks."_

"_Ok. I guess. What do you wanna bet?" Andy shrugged her consent, never willing to back down from a debate and always up for a victory dance at the end._

"_Not money. Absolutely not paperwork..."_

"_Why? You afraid you might lose?" Andy baited her, playfully hitting Traci on the arm and shooting her a cocky smile._

_Traci snorted, "Course not! Hey, how about a dare? You win and I have to perform any dare you give me, one only mind you, and if I win, or should I say, __**when**__ I win, I get to dare you!" She clapped her hands together, highly pleased with herself._

"_Not a bad idea Trace. Actually, I rather like the sound of that! Ok, you're on!" They shook hands to cinch the deal._

_End Flashback_

Andy scrunched her face up in a kind of half-hearted concede, and braced herself for Traci's choices.

"The first you already know – drunk dialling Swarek. Serious flirting is obviously required for you to complete it, and though I'd pay big money to see _that_ one, I'm sensing your reluctance." Traci's mind was already skipping ahead to her next masterful idea, knowing she'd be far more likely to convince Andy to go through with it, and if she was honest, she'd much prefer this alternative that lay in store for her friend. It hopefully would achieve the same result, but this one screamed creative genius.

"Yah! No really?" Andy threw her hands up in distress. "Hit me with the second option."

Traci allowed herself a few moments to smile at her brainwave before dropping the bomb. "You have to get a tattoo," she said simply, waiting for the explosion.

"WHAT! You're kidding right?" Andy had never before looked so horrified. She looked at her friend, trying to gauge whether this was a joke. All she saw was Traci grinning manically. "Right?"

Traci ignored the plea. "So, which is it going to be? Number 1 or number 2? Speak now or forever hold your piece!"

Andy buried her face in her hands, knowing she'd regret this either way. She whipped her head up suddenly and reached for the wine, pouring herself another big glass and sloshing it back. "I guess I'm getting a tattoo," she mumbled, visibly distraught.

"YES!" Traci squealed and jumped into the air, immediately regretting the action and the loud noise. "I'll call us a cab."

"Can't this wait till tomorrow?"

"Nope! You'll have chickened out by then. Plus, maybe the alcohol will drown out the pain." She replied, looking back over her shoulder at her best friend, miserably clutching the wine and drinking straight from the bottle.

"Urrgghh!"

...

"Traci, please!" Andy implored her one last time, hoping to escape before the man with the needle came for her.

"Nope," Traci shook her head, popping the 'p' for emphasis. "Sorry honey," though they both knew she was looking forward to this.

"Well, it's gotta be small. Tiny," Andy reiterated for the 7th time. Traci didn't even bother to reply and simply continued to scour the walls of artwork for something that screamed Andy McNally. Her eyes flitted across a single image that triggered a memory. _Brilliant!_

She turned back to Andy who was sitting hunched over in a crummy plastic chair, head flopped into her hands and her feet tapping nervously against the floor. "Andy? Remember that thing Swarek said about you?" 

"Really, Traci, you're gonna have to be a bit more specific."

Traci just pointed to the picture, waiting for it to click in her mind. A few seconds later she watched her friend's eyes grow wider with recognition.

She stared at the image in front of her, mesmerized, and replayed the conversation in her head like it was yesterday, murmuring, "I have a lion's heart."

...

"Pick something else Traci!"

"No! It's gotta be this."

"You've got four whole walls to choose from and you just _have_ _to_ pick this! Let me get a rose, a heart, some random Hebrew scribble, hell, _anything_ that means nothing!"

"Come on, Andy, it's absolutely perfect. It's perfect _because_ it means something. Most people get tattoos because they look cool. But this is different, Andy, this is who you are. There's no way you can get anything else." Then she grinned, "Besides, he'll be _so_ turned on by that!"

"NO HE WILL NOT! He's **never**__going to see it! Got that?" Andy glared at her, determined to do everything in her power to keep this a secret.

"Never?" Traci snorted, raised a questioning and disbelieving eyebrow. "Wait, you're gonna do it?"

Andy took a deep, shaky breath, reluctantly nodding, "I'll do it."

...

_**So, thank you all for reading this. I hope you liked it so far. If not, please don't give up on me yet, it'll get better, I promise. I've got a couple of ideas running through my head at the moment for the next chapter, but I'd like to hear your ideas. And of course, as always, I'd really love it if you reviewed – please!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: If I owned Rookie Blue, I'd already know what's going to happen in Season 3.**_

_**Thanks so much everyone for all the reviews! So, I've decided to keep this little monologue short and sweet and here's goes Chapter 2! Hope you all enjoy it – don't forget to please review!**_

"I'll tell you for the millionth time, it looks great, Andy! But seriously, will you please stop fussing? It can't hurt _that_ bad."

Andy lathered on another layer of the special cream they'd given her to prevent swelling. "Well _ex-cuuuuse me_, Traci, but the last time I checked, I was the one standing here with this stupid tattoo that I'm now stuck with for the rest of my life, not _you_! So, if you don't mind, I'd like to continue my rant a little longer!" Andy started unwrapping a new gauze pad and motioning with a infuriate flick of the hand for Traci to help. "I'm never listening to you again," she mumbled for the 4th time in less than 10 minutes. "And what's more, I'm never betting against you ever again! You're ruthless."

"Oh, you'll get over it." Traci cut off a length of tape then applied it to the pad, pressing down lightly to secure it.

Andy winced and contemplated how she would get through an entire day with Sam without showing signs of pain. She flicked open her bottle of paracetamol tablets and grabbed two more. "Maybe," she conceded, "but next time you want someone to get a tattoo, get one yourself, that way you'll get to understand the joy of having a needle jabbed at you for 45 minutes!"

"Wuss!" Receiving a death-threat glare, Traci quickly finished up. "But you've gotta admit it's starting to grow on you. Hey, you never know, one day you may actually love it! And you don't really think you're going to be able to hide it from everyone forever, do you?"

"I..."

"Woah! Is that what I think it is?" A voice looming from the doorway surprised them. Both girls whipped their heads around to see the figure.

Andy recovered first. "What? N..no! It's nothing!"

"You're a crappy liar, Andy. It's obviously a tat. I must say, I'm impressed! Would never have pegged you for that kinda girl." A smirk accompanied the voice.

"I'm _not_ that kinda girl." Andy glared at Traci to make her point.

"She lost a bet," Traci owned up with a sly grin.

"Ah! Well, in that case – care to share? I wanna see what you got."

"Not gonna happen, Gail!" She bit out, seething that one more person was privy to her curse. "It's embarrassing enough as it is without having the entire 15th division leering at me." Andy shoved on her clothes quickly but with as little movement as possible and headed for the equipment room.

"So, what'd she get? Is it tacky? It's not a heart is it, or something else totally cliché?" Gail whispered as they followed her out.

As Traci opened her mouth, Andy turned back to silence her friend, "Shut it, Trace. Not. A. Word. No one else can _ever_ find out. Okay?"

"Find out what?" Dov appeared around the corner with Chris in toe. Clearly his gossip radar was switched on 'high'.

"Andy got a tattoo!" Gail blurted out, before scampering behind Chris as Andy lunged for her.

"GAIL!" She screeched, extremely high pitched, vowing in her mind to make the blonde pay for adding another 2 to her list of people to gag.

"Rock 'n' Roll, Andy!" Dov raised his hand and formed it into a weird kind-of punk-ish gesture, nodding and smiling like crazy, fully impressed.

"What? You serious?" The shock on Chris' face overtook every other feature, as he tried to process the thought of his friend, Andy McNally, who never did anything remotely close to bizarre or impulsive, getting a tattoo. His eyes flitted quickly from girl to girl, testing their seriousness, and when he settled on Andy's fuming stance and noticed her eyes continually glance towards the door in panic, he was stunned. "Wow!"

Then the barrage of questions flew at her. _'When? What did you get? Did it hurt? Do you like it? How much did it cost? Where'd you get it done? How come you don't want anyone else to know? Is it good? Can we see? Do you think I would look good if I got one?'_

The last once came from Dov, to whom Traci shot a peculiar, somewhat weirded-out look.

Their voices were drowned out when Andy held up a hand to put an end to it. "Any of you breathe a word of this to anyone outside of this room, and will have no qualms about making each and every one of your lives a living hell. I mean it. I swear to God, if Sam finds out, you'd better pray that I don't lead the trail back to you." Andy fixed each of them with a menacing stare, as if daring anyone to step over the line. Especially when I came to Dov, Andy's glower lasted a little longer, knowing that if anyone would slip up, it would be 'The Big-Mouth'. "We are not discussing this, understand? Good. Now let's get to parade before we're all late... again."

Andy quick-stepped through the corridor, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Morning McNally!" Sam's voice sang out as she sidled past him, hoping to go by unnoticed. Oliver nodded his greeting.

"H..Hi" Andy tried to smile and act normal, but it came out shaky and before she could lose her nerve and run off screaming, she decided to take her usual seat at the front, far away from them.

Oliver looked to Sam with a quirked eyebrow and received a shrug in reply. _Something must be up._

...

"Traci. Spill! How come she's pissed? What'd she get? What's the deal with Swarek not knowing?" Dov's motor-mouth was running at the speed of light, barely taking time to breathe in between questions.

Traci herded them into a corner and, checking to make sure no one could overhear, quickly filled them in on all the juicy details. By the end, even Gail mouth had dropped in astonishment. They almost unanimously gasped out, "WOW! Nice!

"She really went all out, huh?" Chris, once he'd gotten over the initial surprise, realised why she was so unnerved. She was not the kind of girl to be so forward with anyone, and that tattoo definitely meant something more than just cool body art or appreciating the compliment of a TO. If Swarek ever found out, either he'd be completely into it and maybe finally make a move like everyone was waiting for him to do, or he'd never let her live it down, forcing her to be miserable and utterly humiliated. _Tough luck._

As they headed for the paraded room with a minute to spare, Gail finally spoke up. "Well that totally explains the whole Swarek thing. My guess is that's why you chose it in the first place. So, what are we gonna do? I mean, he's gotta know sometime, right?"

Traci nodded, "But she's already freaked out enough as it is. I say we just give her time to get used to it and we'll see. Maybe she'll actually tell him herself."

Gail snorted, "Yeah right!"

"Gail's right," everyone looked at Dov in mock horror. "Shocking, I know, but for once she has a point. This is the perfect opening for them. This could be really _interesting_!"

They reached the doorway and stopped, glancing significantly between Sam and Andy, both oblivious to their debate.

"Later maybe," Traci whispered, "but right now, she's asked for it to be kept a secret, and a secret it shall be. Well, for the moment anyway. It's gotta come out eventually," she added with a cheeky grin before walking up to take her seat beside Andy.

The group huddled around her, begging with her to let them see it.

"No," Andy firmly stated for the 7th time, her voice devoid of emotion and weary.

"Pleeaasse!" Dov whined. "Andy, I bet it looks amazing. We wanna see it! And of course we have to celebrate this momentous occasion. We'll even toast to your awesomeness! Come on, what d'ya say?"

"Arrgh! Fine, whatever. Tonight after shift." Andy through up her hands in defeat. "No cameras or phones, or the deal's off. Got it? Happy now? Great!" Best walked in the room and shot a puzzled look at the rookies who were grinning madly. As she spun back in her seat to face the front, Andy grumbled out, "This conversation is officially over. Not another word."

...

_**So, end of part 2. Definitely more to come soon, I hope. Hope you all liked this chapter. I know it hasn't had much McSwarek interaction, but it's building up to it. I'm in the middle of writing the next chapter so I'll probably have it up by tomorrow. Thanks everyone for reading it and please let me know your thoughts, I always crave feedback, good or bad.**_

_**See ya soon!**_

_**P.S. – for those of you who are Oliver Shaw fans, just wait and see! **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**__**Would **__**it **__**be **__**possible **__**to **__**clone **__**Sam **__**Swarek? **__**No? **__**Damn! **__**Fine **__**-**__**I **__**guess **__**I'm **__**still **__**stuck **__**with **__**nothing.**_

_**OK, **__**ok **__**-**__**I **__**know, **__**I'm **__**sorry, **__**please **__**don't **__**shoot **__**me!**__**Honestly **__**I **__**have **__**at **__**least **__**7 **__**or **__**8 **__**legitimate **__**reasons **__**why **__**I **__**haven't **__**updated **__**like **__**I **__**promised **__**to **__**but **__**I'm **__**just **__**gonna **__**settle **__**for **__**I'm **__**really **__**really **__**sorry. **__**Please **__**forgive **__**me?**__** Thanks **__**for **__**sticking **__**with **__**me **__**this **__**long, **__**and **__**I **__**hope **__**you **__**continue **__**to **__**like **__**my **__**story. **__**You **__**know **__**how **__**much **__**I **__**love **__**reviews, **__**so **__**please **__**keep **__**it **__**up **__**-**__** I **__**was **__**planning **__**on **__**updating **__**Chapter **__**4 **__**by **__**Fri **__**next **__**week, **__**but **__**if **__**I **__**get **__**heaps **__**of **__**reviews, **__**I'll **__**see **__**if **__**I **__**can **__**update **__**even **__**sooner**__** (extra **__**incentive!). **__**So **__**please **__**please **__**please **__**enjoy **__**and **__**review!**_

"McNally!" The deep voice suddenly so close to her ear, followed by the gentle shoulder bump, caused her to almost jump out of her skin. Sam looked at her for a few seconds, with an expression like maybe she'd just grown another 2 heads, and gnawed on his bottom lip. "You ok?"

Andy flicked her eyes over to the group standing next to her, watching the interaction with much amusement, before mentally scolding herself for panicking over nothing. "Uh huh, yep. Fine. Ready to go?" _Damn!__ Of __all __the __days __that __I __get __partnered __with __Sam, __why __did __it __have __to __be __today?_

"Uhhh... sure. Ready when you are, pal." His smirk came with a slight frown, as if to say, '_Yep, __definitely __something __weird __going __on __here.'_Pausing for a moment longer, to glance between the group and her, Sam turned away, dangling the keys in the air and throwing over his shoulder, "Meet you at the car."

As soon as he was far out of earshot, Andy spun around and fixed them with the same withering stare as before, hoping that for once they might actually listen to her. "Remember, I said 'Not. A. Word'." She whipped her body away from them and headed for the cars, taking deep breaths, clenching and unclenching her fists in anticipation of a looooong day, and muttering, "Note to self. Just act normal and everything will be fine. No one will ever know. You can do this, McNally!"

She finished her pep talk as she reached the car. Giving him a small, wavering smile that was supposed to reassure herself and excude confidence failed miserably, and before she could do any more damage to her mental health, Andy slipped into the car and began fiddling with her fingernails and imaginary lint on her trousers, _anything_ to avoid the inevitable conversation of why she was acting like a total lunatic. _God! I __really am __a __terrible __actress._

Sam said nothing for the first 5 minutes or so, content just to watch her stew. Eventually she let out a deep sigh and turned to the window. He couldn't take it any longer, he had to know what was bothering her. But he knew she hated to be cornered, so he figured he'd try some casual, light conversation and maybe, just maybe, she'd tell him herself without him having to ask.

"McNally?" Her head flew around, her eyes wide like she'd been caught doing something stupid. "How was your weekend?"

"Uh, fine, good. Yours?" Andy attempted her best nonchalant voice and hoped her nerves didn't show.

"Yeah, ok I guess. Didn't really do much. You? Did you do anything interesting?" Sam noticed her eyes widen almost comically before flicking around frantically. _Peculiar_.

_Oh __crap! __He __knows. __He __knows! __He's __trying __to __freak __me __out, __get __me __to __admit __it!__OhmyGod, __what __am __I __going __to __do? __How'd __he __find __out? __No. __Stop __it __Andy, __you're __just __being __paranoid. __His __questions __are __perfectly __innocent. __Stop __acting __like __a __nut-case __or __he'll __really __think __something's __up. __Just __breathe __- __he __doesn't __know, __so __let's __just __keep __it __that __way, __shall __we?_

Andy blinked a couple of times to try and restore normal brain function. She glanced back at him, and caught him staring as if trying to work out a puzzle, and realised that sooner or later he'd figure it out if she didn't stop her crazy behaviour right now. "No, nothing really. Had girls night with Traci, but that's about it." She was grateful he seemed to accept that answer with a nod and let the conversation drop after that. _She'd __dodged __a __bullet...__or __so __she __thought._

After a longish pause, he started again. "So what's got you all worked up this morning? I've never seen you this jumpy. Something the matter?" He thought he saw a brief flicker of surprise at his question, taking her off-guard, but she covered it up quickly with a confused, almost questioning expression.

Andy racked her brains to come up with a plausible excuse. "Jumpy? Yeah, I guess I am a bit. I think it must be caffeine deprivation. Ran out of coffee at home last night and forgot to get some at the station this morning. Probably just withdrawal symptoms and what-not." She had to stifle a sigh of relief when he smiled, curiousity diminished, and pulled into the nearest cafe. Andy reached down to get her purse and barely managed to hide a grimace as her 'war wound' twinged at the movement. Thankfully, Sam didn't seem to notice.

"Well, we can't have you being skittish all day, now can we? Otherwise you might run down an alley and jump an undercover cop!" Sam smirked as he hopped out of the car, knowing full well that she'd take the bait.

Andy rolled her eyes in response, "Urrrggghh!" she groaned, "Just let it go already!" But all she heard was a chuckle as she followed him towards the coffee beans awaiting her.

...

The incessant knee bouncing and tapping of a pencil was quickly driving her insane. As if desk duty wasn't painful enough, now she was stuck all day next to a moron. Gail whirled around, "What the hell is wrong with you? Just cut if out!"

Starled by the outburst, Dov dropped his pencil and looked mildly scared for a moment before whining, "I just can't believe she got a tat! It's sooo un-Andy! I'm dying to see it! I'm not sure I can wait till after shift!"

"Well you're just gonna have to wait, suck it up. So now can we please focus on something else?" Gail retorted in bored and fairly uninterested voice.

Dov completely ignored her. "What are we going to do about Swarek? Do you think he'll find out? What d'ya think he'll say? I bet he'll be totally crazy for it. I mean, who wouldn't? This is Andy McNally we're talking about, her tat will probably only make her look hotter. Damn, I wish we could tell him!"

Gail threw her hands up in the air almost in agony, "God! Just shut up already!" Then a few seconds later she turned back to him. "You know, I'm partnered with Swarek tomorrow. I think I'm gonna have a little chat to him," the blonde grinned, starting to plan something in that conniving brain of hers.

"But you can't! Andy told us in no uncertain terms, several times might I add, that if we breathe a word to him, she'll get her revenge. Hell, I've seen what she's capable of and I definitely don't wanna piss her off. If you valued your life, then you'd keep quiet." He saw her roll her eyes like he was so overexaggerating, but he chose to let it slide, instead looking left and right before leaning in to whisper conspiratorily, "Unless, of course, you can do it on the sly, then I say go for it. Bring on Operation Ink!" Dov waggled his eyebrows enthusiastically.

Gail shook her head, "You're getting way too much pleasure out of this, Man-boy. And of course I'm not just gonna tell him straight off. It's all about reconnaissance tomorrow, test him a little, see how he'll react. Then we'll know what to do."

"Rock n roll, Peck!" Dov grinned and held out his hand for a fist bump, but received another rolling of her eyes and a grunt in return, flinging herself back to face the computer.

... A few moments later...

"I just can't believe she got a tat!"

"AARGH!"

...

"Soooo... What's up with McNally this morning?" In fact, he was a little surprised with himself that he lasted almost 5 minutes before raising the subject that was bugging him ever since parade.

"Andy? What? Nothing's up. She's fine, everything's fine," Traci rattled off, definitely not prepared for dodging questions.

"Hmph! You're almost as bad as her when it comes to lying. I suggest you just give it up now and get this all over and done with. Spill Nash." Oliver looked over and quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to tell him everything.

"I... I can't. No, seriously - I really can't. She'll kill me if it ever gets back to Swarek." She practically pleaded with him to drop it. Any more questions and she could be liable to give away something.

"Sam? What's he got to do with this? Nash, come on!" Shaw slammed his foot on the brakes suddenly, having been distracted with this tiny yet valuable piece of information, that he nearly ran a red light.

"Crap," she muttered under her breath, inwardly cursing herself. _Too __late_. Oliver Shaw was worse than a blood-hound. "No! Look, you'll probably find out soon enough anyway, but I just can't tell you anything. Not now." Traci was not above begging.

Shaw stared at her for a few seconds, squinting his eyes and scrutinzing her, trying to pry open any little nugget of the secret from her, before begrudgingly relenting. He'd keep an eye on everything today, and maybe, just maybe he'd sniff out the answer to McNally's bizarre behaviour. There was no chance he was letting this go by any means. He'd just bide his time until someone cracked...

...

The shift went fairly fast when they both settled back somewhat into their normal routine. It seemed like Sam had forgotten all about her nervousness and Andy found that even with the usual silence in the squad car, she'd let her tattoo slip to the back of her mind, almost able to ignore the constant yet subtle throbbing pain. At one point, she even congratulated herself on doing a pretty impressive job of masking the pain, and started thinking, for the first time since she got it, that though she would have to change her wardrobe, she might indeed be able to hide this secret indefinitely.

Well, that was until the last call of the day. They drove out to a nearby break and enter, and the culprits, 2 teenaged boys, fled the scene as soon as they heard the sirens. Sam and Andy both pursued on foot, with Sam easily picking up the first after he tripped over a garbage can left laying around. Depositing him in the car, Swarek drove around the block to where Andy was closing in on the second thief and arrived just in time to see her starting to cuff him. Suddenly Andy let out a yelp, as he elbowed her in the chest, and dropped to the ground, scrunching her face up tightly in agony. She was only vaguely aware of him running unsuspectingly straight into Sam and ending up shoved next to his buddy.

By the time Sam came rushing back, Andy was standing again, albeit hunched over and gasping for breath.

"McNally, you ok?" The concern in his voice made her look up, her face still contorted in a grimace.

Inbetween shallow breaths, she attempted to stand up straight and gave her usual response, though knowing he wouldn't buy it for a second. "Yep... fine."

"Would you please stop saying that!" Sam practically yelled, exasperated and overly worried by her evident pain. "You're not fine so don't give me that. Where does it hurt? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

"No, Sam. I told you I'm fine and I mean it! Just got a little winded that's all, he took me by surprise." Andy plastered her face with what she hoped looked like a reassuring smile and tried to steady her breathing, but knew she wasn't even half-successful. All she could focus on at that point was the high-voltage stabbing pain that was coursing through her chest. "See? All better." She started to walk around him to get to the car when Sam grabbed her arm and pulled her back, dropping it immediately when he saw her face twist again and heard a tiny whimper.

"Andy, at least let me look at it. Seriously, you don't look good," she raised her eyebrows at that, and Sam quickly continued, "You know I didn't mean it like that. But Andy, I think you should..."

She reached out and touched his arm, half-pleased with his concern over her, half-panicked that if he kept pushing the issue, he might find out. "Sam, I'm fine. Honestly. But if it makes you feel any better, I'll take a look at it when we get back to the station, but there really is nothing to worry about. Ok?"

Sam tried to stare her down for a few seconds, but realising she was just as stubborn as him, perhaps even more so, he reluctantly agreed and watched her walk to the car before following, noticing her chest heave as she tried to intake more air.

The ride back to the station was tense, with Sam studying her, glancing over every few seconds with concern etched into his features as Andy kept gently massage her tender spot before seeing his anxiety and repeating, "I'm fine," to which he just nodded and turned back to face the road, only to look over at her again a moment later.

By the time they got the kids through booking, Sam was standing there expectantly, waiting for her to prove that she was really uninjured.

"Sam, I'm fine." _God! __How __many __times __have __I __said that __today? __I'm __starting __to __sound __like __a __broken __record._

"Well, McNally, I beg to differ. Now let's go and get you checked out."

"Sam, I will have a look at it myself, but if you even think for a second that you're coming in with me, just because you have such little faith in my truthfulness, you're sorely mistaken." Sam rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. "And don't even think about following me in or watching from the door. I guess for once you'll just have to trust me Swarek."

Instead of answering, he turned to the front desk and called out, "Peck! Go with McNally and report back to me on her condition." Then he added with a smirk and extra sarcasm, "And don't even think about getting her to lie for you McNally. Now go!" He barked, waving them off. Sam turned back to see Dov watching him curiously with a faint grin on his face. "Something the matter Epstein?"

"Uh, no sir. Definitely not. Nothing the matter here!" And with that he ducked his head down and pretended to busy himself with the paperwork in his hands.

Sam watched him with a frown. _Oookay..._

"Sir!" Sam's head whipped around to find the voice. "She's just got a small bruise that's forming, but apart from that everything looks good. No need to worry."

Swarek scrutinised her for a moment to determine if she was lying, but satisfied with her answer, he nodded his thanks and walked away, shooting one last glance at Epstein who was doing a very poor job of not watching him.

_Flashback_

_"Alright, here's the deal. You buy my coffee and drinks for a week and the next 5 times we're paired together, I get to drive and take the lead. Ok?"_

_"Ha! You're kidding, right! That'll cost me a fortune!"_

_"Hey, it's either that of I go back out there right now and tell Swarek of your precious little secret. Your choice, take it or leave it." Gail shrugged as if either way the outcome really didn't perturb her._

_Andy shifted side-to side and chewed on the inside of her cheek, weighing up which option was worse, agreeing to Gail's demands or having Sam know about her mark. It really wasn't a choice. "Urgh! Ok, fine! But you'd better make it believeable or the deal's off."_

_Gail just gave her an devilish grin in response and disappeared out the door._

_End Flashback_

Andy hid in the locker room until the end of shift and waited anxiously for everyone to arrive. Gail and Traci sauntered in a couple of minutes later and shook their heads as Andy paced nervously around the room. About 5 more long minutes passed before Chris and Dov burst shouting simultaneously, 'Did I miss it? and "You can't go back on your promise now, you have to show us!'

Andy quickly yanked them down onto the bench and her eyes darted about, praying that no one heard their outbursts. "No one saw you come in here, did they? You were careful? I swear, if anyone else comes in here and sees..."

Dov cut her off, "Chill Andy! No one saw us. Now, will you please show us already?"

Andy hung her head and very timidly pulled off her shirt and tugged down the left strap of sports bra until the tat was fully visible.

They all gasped almost in unison.

Gail raised her eyebrows and let her jaw drop. "Nice!"

Chris just stared before letting out a deep breathe. "Wow!"

Dov was silent for a full 10 seconds at least before he snapped out of it and bobbed his head up and down wildly, "Woah! Check _that_ out! Smoking Andy! Holy crap that's hot! Just wait till Swarek finds out, he'll totally lose his mind when he sees that!"

"DOV!" Andy screeched, quickly covering herself back up again.

He stopped his manic rambling abruptly when he saw her expression and remembered her threat. He cowered a little at the though. "Right, sorry. Swarek can never find out - got it! My lips are sealed. But seriously, WOW!

Andy blushed a little and felt a twinge of pride at the compliments. "You... you like it? You think it looks ok?" All three nodded their heads while Traci simply rolled her eyes as if she'd been telling her that all along.

"Andy, if you weren't like a sister to me, I'd totally do you right now."

"Ewww! Dov!" Chris gave him the seriously freaked out look he always gave Dov when he blurted out something bizarre.

"Hey, you've gotta admit, that's the sexiest tattoo you've ever seen. I mean, technically you wouldn't have seen many chicks with tattoos but _I_ have and I'm telling you, a tat like that makes all the pain worth it."

Andy smiled as she turned to look at herself in the mirror again, analysing herself with her new ink. "Yeah, it looks good, I guess. I spose I'll get used to it eventually." She grabbed a high neck sweater from her locker and put it on. "To the Penny? I definitely need a drink."

...

When the group walked in and claimed their usual table, the TO's were already at the bar, nursing their glasses. Sam sent her a smile and wink as she passed by but hardly noticed her attire. Oliver, on the other hand, most certainly did.

"So Sammy, did you find out what was eating your rookie this morning?" Shaw nudged his friend as he dug for more information.

"Hmm? Oh, not really. Said something about lack of coffee, but she was alright after I pumped her with 2 of her weird sugary caffeine cups."

"Ah, ok." Oliver studied Sam briefly before deciding that he was oblivious to whatever she was up to and turned his attention to the rookie table. He caught Nash sneaking glances at him with a slightly guilty expression on her face like she knew she'd given away a vital clue. Epstein was far more animated than usual, which was definitely saying something, but the key was that he kept focusing his conversation on McNally. Diaz was his usual quiet self, no surprise there, but why did he keep looking at her with that expression. Awe? Shock? He couldn't put his finger on it. And Peck? Well, Peck was always Peck. Cold as an iceburg, but this time with a hint of something, like she was planning or calculating. Strange...

When Andy got up to get refills, she knew she couldn't avoid them forever, but hoped to get in and out relatively unscathed. As she made her way closer to them, Oliver's eyes were keenly aware of her sweater, questioning why a girl would wear a thick wool sweater during the summer. She'd even pushed up her sleeves and her face was flushed, though granted that could've come from the alcohol.

Shaw smiled and nodded when she greeted them and leaned over the bar to place her order. He squinted his eyes and looked her up and down while she chatted with Sam, only vaguely aware when he asked how she was feeling and whether she was still in any pain. Just as she was about to leave, he piped up, "So, McNally. How come you're wearing that sweater? You must be stifling in here." He saw her eyes widen and blush a little bit, dropping her eyes to the floor before raising them again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam frown slightly, probably only just now noticing her clothes.

"Um, yeah actually, it is a little hot in here, but I was running a bit late this morning and my clothes are at the drycleaners so I just picked up the first thing I could find." Andy could sense he was watching her, waiting for her to slip up. He knew something was definitely up.

Sam seemed to accept that response, but Oliver was not so sure. Her stance was all wrong, defensive and a little nervous, and her eyes held a tiny bit of fear. _She__has__to__be__lying._

"Ok, but surely you could've borrowed a shirt from Nash or Peck."

Andy bit her lip and glanced back to her friends, seeing Traci watching the exchange and decided she had to get back and find out how much Oliver knew. She had to end the conversation auickly. "Well, I don't know what's with this whole fascination with my clothes, but I have to deliver these drinks before Traci has to get home to Leo. So if you don't mind, have a good night, guys!"

Shaw was about to stop her again, but figured he'd discover the truth eventually and let her walk away. Instead, something twigged in the back of his mind and he turned back to his buddy. "So, Sammy, tell me, what happened on the streets today? Was McNally hurt?"

He faintly saw her walk out of the bar with Nash, but was far too intrigued with Sam's story to pay much attention. Very slowly the puzzle was starting to come together. He wasn't entirely positive, but an idea was starting to take shape in his brain, but there was one vital piece missing. _Evidence_.

...

_**Thanks so much for reading this chapter everyone, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm working on Chapter 4 at the moment as well as a couple of other stories, so hopefully it won't be too long before I update again. You know, reviewing can sometimes make the updates come quicker! Hint hint, nudge, nudge! PLEASE REVIEW! Oh, and thanks to everyone who's given me some ideas to work with in future, I'm definitely going to use them all. **_

_**Until next time...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**__**In **__**my **__**dreams, **__**Rookie **__**Blue **__**and **__**Sam **__**Swarek **__**are **__**mine... **__**Then **__**I **__**wake **__**up.**_

_**Ok, **__**here's **__**the **__**next **__**part! **__**I **__**promised t**__**o **__**have **__**it **__**up **__**by **__**the **__**end **__**of **__**this **__**week **__**and **__**so **__**I **__**have. **__**Hopefully **__**it **__**lives **__**up **__**to **__**your **__**expectations. **__**Things **__**are **__**about **__**to **__**get **__**very **__**interesting... **__**I've **__**gotta **__**say, **__**though, **__**that **__**I **__**was **__**a **__**little **__**disappointed **__**when **__**I **__**looked **__**in **__**my **__**inbox, **__**I **__**really **__**hoped **__**to **__**have **__**more **__**reviews, **__**but **__**thanks **__**again **__**to **__**those **__**who **__**did **__**write. **__**Please **__**keep **__**up **__**the **__**reviews **__**people, **__**without **__**them, **__**I **__**feel **__**very **__**unloved! **__**Oh, **__**and **__**heads **__**up **__**- **__**there's **__**a **__**ton **__**of **__**conversation **__**in **__**this, **__**so **__**I h**__**ope **__**that's **__**ok. **__**Let **__**me **__**know!**_

She'd been sitting in silence for a good 20 minutes, trying to find a plausible way to enter into the conversation. _She __had __to __be __subtle __or __he'd __know __immediately __that __something __was __up, __and __he __definitely __wasn't __dumb. __And __though __she __wasn't __prepared __to __admit __it, __she __was __a __little __scared __of __the __consequences __she'd __face __if __a __certain __someone __found __out __that __she __was __the __cause __of __this __little __breach __of __confidentiality._

Her eyes lit up as she saw the perfect opening, walking through the park in front of where their squad car was currently sitting. _Genius!_

"Sooo... what do you think of tattoos?" Gail started, finally breaking through the almost deafening quiet.

Sam simply turned and raised his eyebrows at her, like, 'What kind of question is that?'

Gail gestured to the guy walking towards them with tattoos down one arm. "See, some people don't like tattoos, think they're hideous in fact, but I've always had kind of a thing for them. What do you reckon?"

Sam stared at her for a few seconds longer before clearing his throat, "Uh, well, considering _I_ have a tattoo, I'd say that would imply that I don't mind them," he replied, as if _duh_, pretty obvious really.

"Really? Huh, I_ so_did not know that. Where is it? What d'ya get? Can I see?" Seeing his expression, Gail quickly removed all traces of excitement and fascination from her voice and attempted to continue more nonchalantly. "Right, sorry. But, like, what about women?"

"What about women?" Swarek was clearly getting exasperated with the admittedly peculiar line of questioning, but Gail knew if she was going to find out, now would be the only chance she'd get. She had to tread carefully cos once the topic was shut down, she'd never be able to start it again. And she just _had _to know.

"I mean, do you like tattoos on chicks?"

"Excuse me?"

"Serious question. Look, I find tattoos on guys a total turn on, something about the power, tough-guy image I guess, but, like, I've always wondered what guys think. So, in _your_ opinion, do tattoos _do_ anything for you?" _God!__ She __really __hoped __she __wasn't __pushing __it __with __this __one._

She was almost relieved when he snorted in response, "Why? Do you have one?" Gail knew he was intending to be narky with that retort in an attempt to dodge the question, hoping to make her uncomfortable enough to drop it, but instead she'd planned ahead for this. Good thing she was a great liar.

"No. I'd love to get one, I've even picked out my design and everything, but I'm deathly afraid of needles. Honestly, I'd totally be up for it if the were no needles involved. I did try to convince Chris to get one but he wouldn't, which is such a shame, he'd look really hot with one. I spent like an entire evening trying to persuade him otherwise and I thought I came close once, but he still wouldn't budge."

Sam held his hands up in surrender. "Ookaay! Waaayy too much information there Peck. I can't even believe we're having this conversation!"

"Well it's hardly a conversation if you won't answer my question. Seriously, it's not like it's a big deal. I'm just asking a simple question, do you find tattoos on women attractive?"

"Urgh! Fine! Whatever! If you really wanna know, the answer is no. No, tattoos on women do not turn me on. Happy?"

"Why?"

"Peck!"

"Look, I'll make you a deal, you answer my questions about this one teeny tiny little subject and I won't talk for the rest of the day, unless you want me to, and I'll do all the paperwork for this shift."

"You were going to do that anyway."

"Oh come on, please?"

"Whatever! Ok, I've got no problem with tattoos on myself or other guys, but I've had girlfriends in the past that have had a couple of tattoos and I just didn't like them."

"Which? The girlfriends or the tattoos?" Gail mimed an apology when Sam shot her a glare, and motioned for him to continue.

"The tattoos - I found them, a bit, um, off-putting I guess. There was nothing wrong with the tattoos themselves but I just don't like them on chicks, that's all. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen a chick's tattoo that I've even remotely close to liked." Sam was getting tired of this talk very quickly and sincerely hoped that she'd give up soon.

"But what if it meant something?"

"Meant something?"

"Yeah, like if it held some special significance, maybe in terms of the relationship?"

"Well, I'm not really sure what you're getting at, but I definitely would never approve of or even recommend to a girl to go out and get a tattoo. It's just not my thing... Are we done yet?"

"Almost. So, if a girl you lo.., um, really really liked, got a tattoo, regardless of what it meant, you wouldn't like it?"

"I'm fairly sure we've already covered this, Peck."

"Just humour me, Swarek."

He sighed, "No, regardless of the women or the tattoo, I'd say there would be at least a 99% chance I wouldn't like it."

"But, would it be a deal breaker?"

"I don't know!" Sam threw his hands up in the air, frustrated. "I mean, I didn't break up with the other girls because of their tattoos if that's what you're asking."

"Ok, ok! I just always thought you'd be a tattoo kinda guy, that's all."

"And what's _that _supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! I just meant that you seem like you would find it, um, 'intriguing', I guess. I know if I was in the sack with a guy who had a tattoo, I'd totally..."

Sam flicked a hand up to stop her, "That's it! End of conversation, Peck. I'm getting more than a little weirded out by this whole thing."

"Sorry," she ducked her head sheepishly, "I guess that was a bit too personal."

"Yeah! You think?"

Gail coughed slightly before turning to look out the window. "Ok, moving on..." She was grateful he couldn't see her victorious grin.

...

Meanwhile...

Andy sat with her chair facing deliberately away from her partner, arms crossed in front of her chest, thankful that the pain had eased off, and had this huff on her face that she'd been sporting since the Penny last night.

"Andy, come on already! You know I didn't mean to let anything slip, and it's not like either of them know anything anyway." Then she mumbled almost to herself, but unfortunately still loud enough for Andy to hear, "I just don't get what the big deal is all about."

"The big deal! The 'big deal', Traci, is that despite everything I've tried to keep this hidden, people like _you_ make stupid mistakes and sooner or later they're gonna find out! Now, I'd much rather it be later than sooner, _thank __you __very __much!"_

Traci rolled her eyes for what was coming close to the thousandth time in the past few days, but figured it was best to bite the bullet and try to make amends. "Look, I'm sorry, ok? I really am. But maybe this is a good thing. Maybe it's a sign that you two are supposed to end up together, and this could just be a way of helping that along."

"That's stupid!" she pouted, but finally uncrossed her arms. "But, ok, I may be taking this a little too seriously. That doesn't mean I want him to know, though. You're still not to reveal a thing, right? _If_, and that's a big _if_, I ever show Sam, it'll be on my own terms - and it definitely won't be _this_ century."

"Ah, I still have my faith that you'll come around!"

"Ain't gonna happen, Trace."

...

Oliver checked his watch again, making it, what, the 12th time since they'd started shift. He had to admit, he was a tiny bit impressed by the rookie's ability to avoid the looming subject for, um, 13th time, almost 6 minutes. Hell, if it wasn't for the constant fidgeting, occasional drumming of his fingertips on the armrest, near bouncing up and down in his seat, the eye flickers and the nervous twitch that had developed on one side of his mouth, practically itching to say something, Shaw would never have even known something was bothering him. But he did, and now was the perfect time for the rookie to break! _Shouldn't __be __too __hard..._

"Hey, Epstein? Heard anything interesting lately?"

"ANDYGOTATATTOO!" Dov burst out, instantly clamping a hand over his mouth, partially in shock and partially to prevent anything further outbreaks that might lead to him being permanently disfigured.

For a second, Oliver said nothing at all, processing the revelation, and Dov started thinking perhaps he'd imagined it. Well, until the car pulled swiftly into the next space and Oliver shut off the engine, turning in his seat to give his full attention. He stared him down until Dov removed his hand, straightened himself up a bit, and winced, perhaps in preparation for the onslaught of questions he knew he'd have to answer.

"What did you say, Epstein?" Shaw asked after a long pause, knowing that although Dov would be reluctant to say anymore, there was no way he could avoid it, and deep down, he knew Dov lived for the excitement of gossip as much as he did.

"Um, nothing," Dov answered lamely, and after that pathetic attempt, pretty much gave up the fight, knowing that secretly he was always going to tell. _He __had, __after __all, __a __God __given __gift __to __pass __on __gossip! He might as well use it!_

"Epstein, you know just as well as I do that I'll get it out of you one way or another by the end of the day, so just give up."

Dov looked around him, scanning both sides of the street like someone might be watching them and eavesdropping on this 'top secret' conversation. The whole theatrics of it was so cliche that Shaw couldn't help but look to the heavens as if to say, 'Why me?' Then he leaned in, still checking over his shoulder. _God! __It's __like __an __episode __of __Get __Smart! __In __a __second __he'll __be __asking __to __use __the __'cone __of __silence'!_

"Look, before I tell you, you have to promise that you won't tell any of this to either Andy or Swarek, or I'll be a dead man, ok?"

"Sam? Nash said something similar and I still don't get what Sam's got to do with this."

"You'll find out soon enough. First, do you swear?"

"Yes, ok! Whatever! Let's just skip ahead shall we?"

"Andy got a tattoo, and..."

"Hold on, are you serious? I mean, I was thinking about this all last night, well, ever since parade yesterday really, and I came to that conclusion myself, but I still can't bring myself to believe! So it's true? You've seen it?" Dov nodded enthusiastically. "Ah, our Bambi's growing up."

"It gets better - but I have to start from the beginning."

"Well it's a good thing it's time for a snack-break then."

"But we only started shift 30 minutes ago."

"Never a better time for a snack-break." Oliver grinned as he headed for the diner across the road.

...

_Another 30 minutes later..._

"Shit!"

"I know, right?"

"Sammy'll go crazy! I mean, not that he's not already crazy 'bout her, but still. Jesus! There's no way he'll let her go after _that_!"

"Yeah, but we can't tell him, remember?"

"Oh, don't worry kid, he'll find out _pretty_ soon, trust me."

"Whatever you do, just try not to throw me under a bus, ok?"

"Now would I do that to you, Epstein? My faithful sidekick?"

"Yes!"

"Ok, good point."

...

"No way!"

"Uh huh."

"You're not serious, you're lying."

"Believe me, I couldn't make this stuff up even if I tried."

Dov's head dropped to the table with a clunk and he immediately regretted that action as his first beer started to buzz in his head. "Could he have been lying?"

Gail shrugged before shaking her head, grimacing a little as she thought of the several scenarios that could happen once Swarek found out - all of them, not good. "Definitely not likely."

"Well what are we going to do?"

Finally, Chris piped up, after well and truly processing the latest information. "We're going to do exactly what she asked us to do - nothing. We're all gonna keep our mouths shut and avoid doing or saying anything in the least bit suspicious until this all blows over."

"But we can't just..."

"Shhhh! She's coming!"

Andy approached wearing relatively normal clothes this time. A high-ish necked t-shirt and jeans, so no one would have reason to think twice about her appearance. But she'd made sure that no ink could be visible at all. Thankfully, it was easier to manage without the padding.

Though she did find it strange that the three of them were watching her closely, giving her curious looks which suddenly made her feel like a chimpanzee on exhibit, she tried to ignore it. But as soon as she got up to go to the toilet and was a little distance from the rookie table, she looked over her shoulder to find all four huddled together, frantically whispering to one another. But she didn't get a chance to find out...

"McNally!" Shaw called out as she passed by the table that seated Oliver, Sam and Jerry. Oliver grabbed hold of her wrist and practically yanked her down into a nearby chair. _Oliver __was __definitely __not __her __favourite __person __right __now._"Sit, have a chat with us for a bit." Little did she know that Oliver had already filled Jerry in on her little secret, while Sam was still completely in the dark, and to be honest, a bit puzzled as to why his friends would willingly invite a rookie, Andy, no less, to sit with them. _Not __that __he __particularly __minded, __of __course._

"Oookaay, I guess." _What __the __hell __is __he __up __to?_

"Great! So, I was wondering what it's like to be partnered with Sammy here all the time. I mean, I've heard in the past that he's a pretty hard task master, never satisfied, wouldn't you agree?"

"Um, no... I..."

Shaw carried on as if he'd never actually asked her the question and she'd never started to answer it. "But then I guess, after you've spent so long with him, his habits start to rub off on you and sooner or later you'll be, uh, scarred for life!" He was barely able to conceal his grin as Andy's eyes widened almost comically, her brain frantically trying to backpeddle.

"Oh come on! I was an awesome TO and I'm an even better partner, right McNally?" Sam broke in, sending her his usual charming dimpled smile as if to say, 'Surely you can't resist this face'.

"Uh, sure..." _Oh __crap, __Oliver __knows! __Must. __Find. __Way. __Out. __Now!_

"Jee thanks for the vote of confidence, McNally, I'm wounded. You cut me deep." Sam threw a hand over his heart in mock hurt, but frowned slightly when he saw her eyebrows shoot nearly to her hairline, and her eyes shot about like they did yesterday morning.

Oliver had to bite his lip from laughing out loud. _This __was __way __too __easy!_ He was faintly aware of Jerry's open-mouthed shock, but was already starting on his next attack. "You know, McNally, whenever he gives a compliment, you should really take it to heart cos it doesn't happen very often." This time he didn't even pause to revel in his own glory, just plowed straight ahead, thoroughly enjoying the full-panic-mode expression on her face. "But then again, I always figured he was such a hard ass cos he likes to _imprint_ a little of himself on the rookies.

"What are you talking about, Ollie?" Sam interrupted, not really aware of Andy's deepening blush and anxious chewing on her lip. _Another __bizarre __conversation! __What's __with __this __today?'_

"Huh? Nothing much, just saying that the longer you're paired together, you tend to become tarred with the one brush, cut out of the sam mould, if you will, and you'll be forever marked as Sammy's rookie, _branded_ - I think that's the best word to use. Yep, you'll be _branded."_ Then he added almost as an afterthought, very pleased with his job, "Don't you agree, McNally?" He hardly swallowed his smirk as she scrambled for something to respond with and then obviously make a quick getaway.

"Uh, yeah sure, Oliver. I, um... you could be right, but uh, I think if I turn out half as good as Sam, I'll be happy." She gave him a quick smile, which he returned and hoped he didn't see it waver, before turning away slightly and angled her face to shoot a glare at Oliver, who looked mighty smug. "But, I... I have to go now, if you don't mind, I have to talk to Dov." Without waiting for their reply she high-tailed it back to the rookie table which now was only occupied by Traci and Dov. _More __like __I __have __to __go __and __KILL __Dov!_ Andy thought to herself, muttering curses along the way.

The trio wathed from afar as Andy widened her stance, and, drawing nearer to the other table, began furiously pointing a finger at Dov, who quite visibly cowered in his seat. They looked on, some in amusement, one in confusion, as she raised her voice, yelling at Dov and waving her hands frantically back in their direction, before grabbing Traci, literally hauling her to her feet, and pushing her out the door, aiming a worried glance at them and a pissed-off glare at Dov.

Sam swung his head around to face his two friends. "What was that about?"

Oliver briefly looked to Jerry before turning his attention back to Sam, shrugging as if to say he knew no more than him. "Beats me buddy. But whatever it was, Epstein sure looked like he was shaking in his boots!" Seeing Dov stand up and chug down th rest of his beer in one gulp, his eyes flicking over to Oliver once or twice, he pulled out a small wad of note and held them out to Sam. "Brother, buy us the next round would ya? It's on me." Sam raised his eyebrows and Shaw realised it did sound a little out of the ordinary and so mumbled something about today's horoscope, hoping it was believable. Luckily Sam just grunted and moved toward the bar.

"Could you try to be a bit more subtle, Oliver?" A voice hissed in his ear before he turned around to see Dov slide into the chair next to him. "Or are you deliberately trying to get me killed?"

"No need to panic so much Epstein, it'll all turn out good in the end! And in the meantime, we get to have a little fun!"

"I'm not so sure about that - our brilliant idea has pretty much taken a turn for the worse." Dov shook his head as though he still couldn't believe it.

"Why? What happened?" Dov was actually mildly surprised to see Jerry on the other side of him, having not noticed him there before at all. Even Oliver looked at him, hearing his voice for probably the first time since Sam arrived at the Penny.

"Turns out, Swarek is not a fan of tats!" Dov whispered, keeping a firm eye on the dark figure at the bar.

"Yeah right! Of course he is - he has one!" Jerry exclaimed, eager to point out the significant flaw in Epstein's information.

_"I __know __that!_" He spat back, getting defensive, even finding it a little offensive that the detective would think his information inaccurate. "But apparently he doesn't like them on women!"

"Ouch!" Jerry winced, remembering vaguely some conversation he'd had with his friend years ago about an ex.

"Wait - what?" Oliver was just beginning to catch up and was now in desperate need of further clarification before he let his mind run wild. _Well, __technically __a __bit __late __for __that __now_. "How do you know that? Who's your source?"

"Gail."

"And where did Peck get that from?"

"Swarek."

"Sam _told_ her that?"

"Yep."

"When? How?"

"Today. She asked, he told her, and thankfully he still doesn't suspect a thing, or I might be missing some limbs."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Yep."

"Ouch."

"Yep."

"Jeez, I'd hate to be McNally right now. Does she know?" Oliver kept firing questions at him, aware that Sam had begun to make his way back to them and that his time was quickly running out.

"Nope."

And you're not going to tell her?"

"Are you crazy? No way!"

"So what are you..."

"Epstein! This must be a special occasion for Shaw here to let you sit with us. What's going on?" _First McNally, now Epstein - peculiar. _All three froze as Sam sat back down, sending them each looks that clearly said 'he knew something was up and he wanted in'. "So which of you cares to share?"

They all looked at him for a moment, shaking their heads in disbelief before Jerry quickly looked away, Dov scratched his head and took the opportunity to stare at the interesting marks on the table in front of him, and Oliver cleared his throat, knowing that he'd be left with the task of broaching the subject.

"Ahem, uh, Sammy," Oliver started, trying to find the words to give him just the right amount, but not too much. "Um, see, here the thing. Your rookie, McNally, she may have done something a little, um, stupid." He saw Sam furrow his brow in concentration. "Don't get me wrong, it's pretty impressive..."

"Yeah and fricking awesome!" All three heads whipped around as Dov interrupted quite loudly in their ears. He sheepishly murmured a quick "uh, sorry, I'll just be leaving then" and bolted for the door, leaving Sam startled and more than slightly concerned.

"Um, as I was saying, this thing she did is, uh...

'Mind-blowing, amazing, intense..."

"Yeah thanks Jerry, I got this. So it's all of those things, but still idiotic."

"Ollie, what's happened?"

"Nothing to be concerned about, so don't look so worried, Sam. But, have you noticed anything different about McNally over the past few days, anything slightly strange about her behaviour or...?"

"No, Ollie, I told you what she said. Now will you please tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Sam slammed his fists into the table, causing the beers to slosh about.

"Calm down, will you please?" Shaw hissed. "I can't tell you exactly what's she did, I promised, but um, I'll give you a clue, think back over everything since we came back to work on Monday, every conversation or peculiar stare or whatever. Just think about it, you'll figure it out." Sam looked at him like he was going mad. "But, brother? Just, uh, go easy on her, ok, when you do find out. We've, uh, become aware of your feelings about this particular thing, but just don't let it cloud your judgement as far as McNally is concerned. In fact, it... it might be better if you don't tell her about it. Lie if you have to, it's probably easier that way and it'll take the pressure off her."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean? My feelings about what?"

"Sorry man, I can say no more." He held up his hands in self-defence and slowly backed away from the table. "Gotta go home and tuck the kids in. Jerry?"

"Yep, right behind ya, man!"

"Wait! What's... Dammit!" Sam slumped back into his seat as the Penny door shut behind them. _What __the __hell __is __the __matter __with __everyone __lately? Am I the only one NOT going crazy?_

Gradually, sipping his scotch, Sam started to replay everything since 2 days ago...

...

_**So, another chapter bites the dust! Hope it wasn't too tedious for you, if felt like the only way to write this chapter. Now, hate to say it but I'm taking another mini break from this story while I try to figure out what happens next, and also to write some other stories that have been driving me crazy for a while. But please don't forget to review! And with any luck, I should have the next chapter up soon. Thanks everyone for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: If they were mine, my life would be complete.**_

_**Okay! Last chapter! Yippeee! Ahem... So so so so sorry, please forgive me, I'll try never to do it again. Anyway, as you are probably aware, I've been struggling with this final chapter for ages and now I'm only happy with certain parts and not others, but hey - gotta give up eventually, right? Sorry about any errors, I don't have spell check right now. This chapter is for: ; and SunnyCitrus10 - who have been absolutely awesome, practically begging me to finish it and never gave up on me (I hope!) Reall hope you all enjoy and it doesn't disappoint you too much. Reviews! Oh, and please take note of the sudden change of rating - it's there for a reason. ENJOY!**_

It was 3:09 before he finally was left with no other choice but to accept the evidence laid before him. He'd been struggling constantly against it, like literally every second, since Oliver left him stranded at the Penny. Maybe subconsciously he'd worked this out before. _But it still couldn't be true, could it?_ He'd been in denial from about 5 minutes into his drive home when the thought actually occurred to him, and frantically racked his brain to think of any other plausible excuse aside from this one. Finally, he was stuck with the nagging voice in his head, _It's the only thing that fits. There **is** no other explanation._

But that realisation didn't mean he could wrap his mind around it in any way. She was McNally, for God's sake. The woman who may act irrationally as hell and jump into situations that she hadn't even remotely thought through, but never, NEVER, would she do something so out-there, so full-on impulsive, so ... permanent.

Sam knew he'd be useless at work today if he didn't get at least _some_sleep, especially considering his shift started at 8, but he couldn't shut his mind off. Her nervous face as she avoided his questions like the plague, his bizarre, though now logical conversation with Peck, the anxious glances of her friends as well as his, not to mention her uncharacteristic and sudden disappearance from the Penny after Oliver's somewhat strange-at-the-time ribbing. Everything added up.

Andy McNally's got a tattoo.

Sam scrubbed a hand over his eyes, still in partial disbelief. But that still didn't explain what this all had to do with him. It seemed as though everyone was more concerned with his reaction to the news, rather than the news itself. _Why him? It's not like his opinion of it is gonna make a difference in any way. And it certainly wouldn't change his feelings about her - she was still Andy, right? But they all seemed to think it would be a deal-breaker in his eyes. Andy wouldn't care what he thought, would she? I mean, **she** was the one who got inked in the first place, why would he matter at all? But, he supposed Ollie was right, maybe it would be better if he lied when he saw it, he could be convincing enough._

Even as he thought those words, images flashed through Sam's mind of him peeling her clothes off, just to find the hidden tat. Sam started mentally searching her body for where it might be, and trying to picture what she'd got. He figured it'd be a rose, probably a little one on her chest, that's what chicks usually got, and suddenly all he could think about was tracing his fingertips over the shape, maybe nipping at it a little, running his mouth over... _What the...? His mind was seriously messed up, he wasn't even acting like himself anymore._

Sam shook his head furiously to dislodge his scrambled thoughts. Forcing his mind to think about _anything else_, Sam tried to ignore the rapid thumping inside his chest every time he slipped.

...

She'd made up her mind. She was going to tell him today. She knew she was an idiot for even thinking he'd never find out, and after tossing and turning, still furious at Dov for his betrayal, Andy was finally at peace. She knew she'd have to be the one to initiate it if ever she wanted to be something more with him, _that_ she'd realised after the whole 'blackout' fiasco. And if everyone was right about it, this tattoo could be just the thing to push them a little further. This was going to be the night that changed their lives...

...

"I still think you're wrong, you've gotta be."

"How can I be wrong? Swarek told me _himself!_ Look, Dov I'm just as shocked as you, but that doesn't change the facts."

"Gail's, right, you know. We shouldn't have asked him in the first place, that way we wouldn't have this hanging over our heads." Chris interceded, desperately wanting to put an end to this entire uncomfortable mess they landed themselves head-first into.

"Are you sure you didn't just misunderstand him?" Traci was biting her lip, her face scrunched up in a '_oh man, she's gonna kill me'_ kinda way. "I mean, it's possible that you heard Sam wrong, right?" She was willing to hold onto a skerrick of hope, but really she could only pray that Sam didn't blow this disaster wide open. This could still be salvageable, Andy didn't have to know anything.

"No, Traci. Swarek clearly said he hated tattoos on women, regardless of the woman or the tat. I don't think there's a way to misinterpret that!" Gail folded her hands on her hips in annoyance at being doubted, though she could to some degree understand why.

"What?" They heard a gasp and spun around to find Andy a few steps away, pale, rigid and with her hand clasped over her mouth. _Shit!_

"Andy..." Traci started, but unsure of what to say next, abruptly stopped.

None of the group said anything for a few seconds, each wanting to be anywhere else at this moment.

"Is it true?" Andy's broken whisper cut through them and they all dropped their eyes to the ground. "Chris, is it true?"

Reluctantly Chris looked up. _Why him?_ "Uh... Yes. Yeah, Andy, it's true."

The boys just stood there awkwardly, watching their friend vanish into the locker room with Traci and Gail following slowly behind, their shoulders slumped in defeat.

Traci hesitantly placed a hand on Andy's shoulder as she rummaged through her locker.

"I'm sorry, Andy. I didn't know. I would never have..." She trailed off when she saw her pull out her mobile and what looked like a business card, quickly punching in the numbers.

"I was going to tell him tonight." Gail winced in the background, shifting slightly on her heels. "I can't believe I was so _stupid_! I should have known it would... Yes, hello! My name is Andy McNally, I need to get a tattoo removed and I was wondering if you had any openings tomorrow?... No, earlier than that, please, I start work at 2PM. 9? Yes, no that's perfect, thank you. Ok, great, bye."

Traci looked to Gail for help, but all she received was a shrug. They simultaneously stepped forward. "Andy, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, it's gonna be a hell of a lot of money."

Gail joined in a feeble attempt to persuade her. "Yeah, Andy, and besides, I've heard it's _really_ painful."

"I'm not going to jeopardize every chance I have at something potentially amazing with Sam because of one stupid drunken mistake. There's no other way, Trace. It has to be this." Andy quickly closed her locker and without another word, headed for parade.

...

Sam had been in there for over 20 minutes, absent-mindedly putting on his uniform. Oliver watched from the doorway as Sam missed a few button holes and ended up re-doing them twice. _Obviously his mind was somewhere else. _Not to mention, there were definite bags under his eyes, which could only mean one thing...

"So," Oliver's voice startled him, causing him to flinch a little, before looking at his watch and wondering where the time had gone. "I gather you've figured it out? Did you get any sleep at all?" His smirk was evident as he took in his friend's expression, he could practically see his brain whirling at a million miles per second.

"Tell me it's not true." Even as he asked, Sam could not quite pinpoint whether in fact he actually _wanted_ it to be false. But then again, his mind was _completely_ messed up.

"It's true." Oliver confirmed, slapping him on the back and ushering him out of the locker room. They reached the parade room and took their normal seat at the back table, waiting for everyone else to pile in at the last minute. "So, uh... what d'ya think?" Oliver coughed slightly, not sure where this conversation was going, and rocked back and forward on his heels.

"I have no idea." Sam ran a hand through his hair, still trying to get his head around it. A tattoo? Big thing to spring on a guy, honestly!

"Well, like I said, just play it cool, lie if you have to. Just whatever you do, don't tell her the truth. It's a big thing for the girl, so, um... try... try to like it ok?" Hell, even Oliver was anxious about them screwing up their relationship over a stupid tattoo, albeit a pretty stunning one from what he'd heard.

"Uh huh." Sam's reply caught his attention, clearly distracted again. He looked over his shoulder to see his friend staring unabashedly at McNally as she sauntered in with the other officers. Sam tilted his head to the side and roamed his eyes up and down, noting the way her hair flicked when she walked, the curve of her smile as she greeted everyone. If asked in that moment, he couldn't say why it was harder to breathe, or why his pants felt gradually tighter, or why he suddenly wished he had the power of x-ray vision.

"Huh," Oliver tried to draw Sam's attention back to him, now fully aware of what he thought was going on. "Unless, of course, you don't need to lie, because in fact, what you told Peck was wrong."

"I didn't lie to Peck. I don't like tats on women, they look tacky and butch."

"Really? Well then why do you look like you wanna take McNally somewhere private and..."

"I don't look like that!" Sam exploded, causing a few of the nearby officers to shoot him weird looks. "I swear I don't normally, it's just... she... I... um..."

"It's McNally." Oliver finished for him, relishing the moment of seeing his friend tongue-tied. "And now you can't get it out of your head."

"Yeah." Sam breathed, a corner of his mouth tweaking up in a sheepish and utterly dumbfounded smile.

"Bad news, Shaw, really _really_ bad news." Traci bounded up and interrupted, before realising who else was standing there and fell silent, stealing skittish glances at Sam.

"It's alright Nash, he knows." Oliver saw Traci grimace and mentally weigh up the options of telling them both. "So... what's wrong now?"

"Fine." She gave in, but just as she opened her mouth, she saw Best walking towards the room and knew her time was short. _Make it quick, _she thought_, and get out. Just like ripping off a band-aid_. "Um, Andy-found-out-that-Sam-hates-tats-and-now-made-an-appointment-to-get-it-removed-tomorrow. Gotta go, bye!" And with a flash of her ponytail, Traci bolted to the front of the room to her seat next to Andy and attempted to act casually.

"What?" Sam whipped his head around to Ollie for an explanation.

"Crap, another snag. And just when I thought we were finally getting somewhere. Well, it's up to you to fix this one, brother."

"What? Will you _please_ tell me what the hell this has to do with me? _I'm_ not the one who asked her to get it! I don't see why everyone is making such a big deal out of whether or not I know and how _I_ feel about it!"

"You don't get it, Sammy! This whole..." he waved his hands around madly, "thing is about _you! _The girl of your dreams has just spelt out her feelings to you in permanent ink! Literally!"

"What are you talking about, Ollie? Have you seen it? What's going on? What is it?"

Shaw shook his head. "Sammy, brother. I can't tell you. I haven't seen it, but I've been told, and man... if you let her get it removed... just trust me, don't let her do it. It's worth it. If nothing else matters, this does."

"Wha..."

Frank Best's booming voice interrupted his query, "So, on the roster today..."

But all Sam could think about was Peck's words, _"What if it means something... has special significance?"_

...

McNally was in a particularly quiet mood, like the other day, Sam noted. But unlike the other day, she seemed more morose rather than nervous. Her eyes were down-turned in a soft sadness, lacking their usual sparkle. Andy barely responded when he tried to make small talk and instead contented herself to look out the window. It also didn't help that today was an uncharacteristically slow day.

Truth be told, Sam didn't really believe that she'd get lasered just because he said he wasn't a fan. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like she'd done it all for him. And if that was the case, then there was no way he'd let her get rid of it. Well, that and the fact that... well... yeah. It kinda worked for him, if he must admit. Thus, he found it near impossible to concentrate on anything, let alone driving while mentally undressing the woman beside him.

He sent Andy in to get coffee and donuts about an hour into their shift, purely because he needed the space - and air to breathe that didn't have her musky shampoo in it. Unfortunately for him, it lingered in her absence. Just as Sam rested his head on the steering wheel and tried to employ zen focus, he remembered about the_ beeping _he'd heard about 10 minutes ago. Andy had disregarded it almost immediately, hardly even bothering to read the message, and then, perhaps subconsciously, reached a hand up to gently rub the spot where he presumed the infamour ink was. She seemed to Sam almost regretful of it soon having to disappear from her life.

Sam glanced across at the cafe and his eyes picked her out in the line, while his hand inched across to the phone lying against her seat. 3 people from the counter, he still had time. Sam flicked through her phone, grateful she hadn't locked it, and eventually found her messages.

_Your appointment at The Toronto Laser Treatment Clinic has been confirmed for tomorrow at 9am. If you wish to change your booking at any time, please contact us as soon as possible._

"Shit!" Sam cursed quickly replaced her mobile carefully in the exact same spot and squinted_. 9am - that leaves him only 24 hours to change her mind_.

...

He'd brewed on it pretty much all day and still hadn't figured out the best way to handle this. This was a_ little_ beyond his expertise. _How does one have a conversation about this kinda thing? Just launch straight in there with, 'Hey, McNally, I was wondering if you would show me your tat?' Uh, no, probably not such a good idea. _In the end, he came up with nothing.

Which was how he found himself so worked up that he burst into the women's locker room unannounced.

"SAM! What're you doing here? We're getting changed in here, get out!" Andy screeched as she hastily blocked her chest with a shirt before he could catch a glimpse of it. The others had already fled into the showers.

"I wanna see it!" Sam blurted walking purposefully towards her.

"WHAT!" Andy panicked, but vainly tried to backtrack. "What are-are you talking about, Sam?"

"The tattoo, McNally. _My_ tattoo. Show me." He almost grabbed at her shirt but she pushed him away. _God! He wasn't even drunk yet, and already he was acting like a lunatic_.

"NO! It's none of your business. Now, GET OUT!" Andy kept the shirt squeezed to her chest tightly, never going to let go if it was the last thing she did.

"None of my business? How the hell do you figure that?"

"I'm not discussing this with you, Sam."

"Well sooner or later you're gonna have to!"

"Later!"

"At the Penny?" Sam's voice changed to slightly hopeful.

"Get. Out!"

"Fine!" He flung his hands in the air in defeat, before stalking out of the room.

...

A beer and a tumbler of scotch later, Sam knew what he had to do. It had to work, it was the only thing left.

...

Andy never heard the buzzer, and so was startled by the sudden bashing on her door. She rolled her eyes, groaned and hung her head as she looked through the peep-hole, before turning the handle, bracing herself for a battle.

Sam pounced as soon as the door opened an inch, flinging it back with a force that caught her by surprise. Then he was on her. Sam's hand gripped her arms tightly and pushing her roughly into the wall behind. With barely a second to react, his mouth crashed onto hers, hot, hungry and demanding, sliding his tongue in when she gasped for air. All conscious thought flew out of her head as he devoured her, biting and sucking in a frenzy. She was only vaguely aware of his hands all but ripping open her buttons and tossing her shirt to the floor.

Tugging down her left bra-strap, Sam pulled away just as abruptly, and took a couple of seconds for his blurry eyes to focus on the image that lay before him. Andy's eyes flew open at his gasp, and instantly tried to shrink back, shielding herself from him, but his arms wouldn't let her.

Sam's brain shut down about half a second after he recognised it, only to kick back in hard and fast moments after, his mind going crazy in a scramble of overwhelming desire and want. It was perfect. _She_ was perfect.

Tucked away just above her left breast was a small lion, standing proud and mid-roar, its piercing eyes full of strength, determination and fierce loyalty. Scrawled just beneath it in tiny spiralled writing, were the words, "Lion's Heart".

"I lost a stupid bet, ok? It's not like it's a big deal, I just... look I'm getting it removed tomorrow, so don't worry about it, it'll be gone. And I swear it'll never happen again, I..."

"Mc... Andy," Sam cut off her babbling as he reached out and gently traced the outline with his fingertips, marvelling at how it looked against her skin, while his heart flew into tachycardia. "It's amazing," he whispered, his voice suddenly gravelly. "Perfect," he murmured as he stepped impossibly closer.

"Sam... don't lie, please. I get it, it's not your thing. I'm getting it removed. Just please don't lie to me like that." Andy had long since given up trying to push him away, but still avoided looking at him, like she was afraid to see the disappointment.

Sam pressed his body into hers and kissed her again, pour as much of his love and lust into it as he could before leaning back and turning her jaw until she looked him in the eyes. "I'm not lying."

"Sam, I know how you feel about tattoos, ok? Gail told me."

He suddenly grabbed one of her hands that was resting on his shoulders and forced it downwards to his jeans. Placing her hand on the bulge of his already hardened cock, Sam swallowed roughly and took a ragged breath, "That is how I feel about it."

Andy's eyes went comically wide as she palmed him through his jeans and watched him briefly close his eyes, only to have them open with double the lust. "Sam?" she whispered, unsure of whether it was a question or a statement, or just an involuntary gasp.

In any case, Sam continued on like he heard nothing at all, sliding both of his hand around her back, even as she still felt him. Flicking open the clasps, he let it fall, far too preoccupied with the most fantastic breasts he'd ever seen. Bowing his head, Sam ran his tongue over the tattoo, nibbling at it gently and then licking it, repeating the pattern as his hands cupped her breasts, feeling their weight and thumbing at the nipples until her head clunked back into the wall.

"Saaamm," she moaned, finally bringing her hands up to his scalp, scratching her nails over his scalp, through his thick black hair.

It was that sound that tore him away from the wall, and bundled her back through her apartment until her knees hit the bed, never once taking his lips off her. Breaking only for a few seconds, he watched, fascinated as Andy leaned back against the bed, her chest puffed out in a way that almost had his cock trying to burst through his zipper. Climbing slowly on top of her, he licked and kissed his way down her body until he reached her jeans, drawing them quickly down her legs along with her panties, Sam stopped, motionless, as he looked down at her, bare and open and wet, waiting for him. Eagerly lapping at her for a little while, until she was quivering and gripping the bedsheets, Sam made his way back up to her, kissing her hard so she could taste herself, before returning to her lion. Nuzzling at it a few more times, he dropped his head lower, grasping a breast and sucking until it was hard and Andy was groaning, then switched to the other and back.

Andy squealed when he slid a finger into her, taking her deep, before curling it upwards. Her back arched off the bed as she shoved her hips down against his hand. Then another finger earned him a cry of "Oh God! Sam! There! Shit! I'm... I'm..."

"Mmmhmm..." he hummed against her tat. He kissed up her neck and traced the outer shell of her ear with his tongue. "Like that, sweetheart?"

"Uhhhh, I'm... I'mmmm... FUCK!" Her hips jolted off the mattress when he twisted inside her, and he knew she wasn't far off. Manuevering his thumb to press hard against her clit, Sam leaned back to watch her as she spiralled out, shaking uncontrollably and almost weeping his name.

"God, Andy!" He whispered in her ear as she slowly came back down, "You have no idea how fantastic you are."

She grinned in euphoria and with trembling hands, started unbuttoning his jeans. Quickly disposing of them on the floor, Sam fell in between her legs, resting his rock-hard cock teasingly at her entrance. Andy brought his head down for another kiss, before lining them up.

"Fuck, Andy!" Sam groaned, collapsing on top of her and burrying his head into her hair as he pushed into her. Gasping for breath, he held her hips still while he clenched his eyes shut and willed himself to remain in control. "You're... so... fricking tight." He managed to choke out. "You're fucking amazing, you know that McNally?" Sam panted into her ear as he felt her nod.

"You ok there, Sam?" Andy grinned, sliding her hand down his sides to his butt.

"Uh huh, just... one minute."

Then he started to move. Slowly at first, trying to get as deep as possible, watching himself slide in and out. Her moans soon drove him on, though, until his movements became erratic.

"Yes! Right there! Harder! Oooohhhh God! Mmmmm! Harder Sam!" She tilted her hips higher and wrapped her legs around his back as Sam finally lost all restraints and slammed into her like a mad man till she started screaming.

"Ssssaaammm! God! I'm almost there... please, Sam... I'm coming!" He reached between them and pinched her clit, causing her to fly over the edge along with a torrent of curses.

4 more deep thrusts and he was gone too, roaring her name as he came, spilling his seed into her and only just able to kiss her quickly before he fell on her again, knowing that her was probably smothering her, but really unable to do anything about it or let alone even care.

...

A couple of hours later, after many more repeat activities, Sam gently pushed Andy off him and climbed out of bed.

"Where're you going?" Her exhausted voice called out to him.

Sam walked back to the beside, bending down to give her a kiss, before straightening back and walking towards the living room. "I'll be back in a second."

Sam dropped heavily next to her, looking over as she lifted her head and quirked an eyebrow. He smirked and passed her the mobile. "Call the clinic," he demanded, slipping his hand over the ink again.

"What? How did you know about that?" Andy's head whipped up to stare at him. He didn't answer, just cocked his head to the side with the same infuriating smile she's had for almost 2 years. "Of course, should've guessed. Cos you're Sam Swarek and you're awesome!" she mimicked.

"Uh huh." He tapped at the phone, "Make the call."

"But Sa-am, it's like 2am. They're closed."

"So leave a voicemail."

"Argh! Fine." She dialled the number and waited for the beep. "Hi, this is Andy McNally, um, I have an appointment for 9am tomorrow, well, today, I guess? Anyway, I'm just calling to cancel it. I've decided to, uh, keep my tattoo." She grinned over at Sam, who took the mobile out of her hands and flipped it shut, then started peppering her face with sloppy kisses all over.

Andy squeaked as he rolled her underneath him, but instantly spread her legs.

Kissing her long and hard, Sam pulled back and rubbed his nose against hers before whispering in her ear. "Damn right you're keeping it."

...

FIN

_**Thanks so much everyone for reading this story, it means a hell of a lot to me that people actually like my stuff. Hope this chapter was ok, I'm always anxious what others thing, so please review and let me know. It's kinda sad that it's over now, but at least I can move on to something else. At last count I have 17 other stories to write, so you'll definitely be seeing me around soon.**_

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